Measure P and parks | Letters to the editor, Nov. 5, 2018

Parks measure is loaded with value

Regarding the Oct. 7 opinion page piece for parks measure: Fiscal conservatives Alan Autry/David McDonald deserve credit for recognizing more police in a community not structured to limit their need is not fiscally prudent. In addition to being financially wasteful, we’ve experienced the grim realities of continued community degradation while we struggle to fund police.

Between 2008 and 2018 parks spending by the city of Fresno has been reduced by 39 percent, while public safety spending has increased 23 percent with the mistaken ideology that one is more important than the other. Autry/McDonald effectively argue each is equally important in a multifaceted, fiscally responsible approach to crime fighting and community building. Fresno’s 2018 per person parks spending is $42, one of the lowest in the country. Progressive California cities with highly rated park systems are spending in the range of $130-$142 per capita. Passage of Measure P would bolster Fresno per capita parks spending to $110.

Livability is key to a prosperous city able to address crime, poverty, educational under achievement, brain drain and air quality. Policing alone cannot address livability. Measure P addresses our livability in the most value-laden way possible.

Pick candidates on climate change

When choosing a candidate for Congress, please look at their positions on climate change.

This is a local issue for the San Joaquin Valley. The University of California published some frightening predictions. They show the number of days over 105 degrees, when it becomes dangerous to work outside. Before 1990 is was about four days per year. It is already rising and may reach 55 per year in the lifetime of today’s young adults. (See www.cal-adapt.org)

Crops will need more water in such hot weather, but the water supply is becoming more unstable. UC predicts more droughts and more flood years. Some of our most valuable crops may be abandoned because they will not withstand the heat.

Pollutants such as ozone also increase in hot weather. We will suffer more illnesses, such as asthma.

These are just some local problems. Many regions of America and the world will fare even worse.

But it is not too late for action to help us. Vote for a candidate who cares as much about our future as you do.

P for parks and public safety

Public safety depends on far more than the number of police officers on the city’s payroll. After all, even thousands more police officers could still not be in every place at every time a crime might be committed.

So, what if we were to spend some resources reducing the chance of criminal activity in the first place? Research indicates that community involvement in neighborhood parks is associated with lower levels of crime and vandalism. Tax dollars spent on parks — and on recreation programs in those parks — contribute directly to young people making choices that will take them to a job, rather than a prison cell. That’s a smart way to invest public dollars!

Vote yes on Measure P to restore our existing parks, build new parks, ensure our parks are safe, and provide healthy, productive alternatives for youth and families in Fresno.

Parks lead to better health

Fresno is near the bottom of the list of like-size cities in the country in per capita investment in parks. Another alarming statistic is that Fresno is near the top of the list of California cities for incidences of heart attack and stroke.

In order to reduce cardiovascular events, I recommend to my patients to exercise daily, reduce stress and stay socially connected. There is no better way to accomplish this triple aim than to take a walk, jog or bike ride in a park. Exercising in a luscious green environment reduces stress hormones, blood pressure and cardiovascular events. Participating in community events in parks creates a shared sense of social connectedness that also reduces stress hormones and improves our health. Parks are a crucial ingredient to help us humans adapt to urban life.

Sadly, many of my patients are avoiding parks because of dying grass, wilting trees, locked bathrooms, graffiti, broken equipment and criminal activity.

For these reasons I support Measure P. This initiative will reverse deterioration of our parks and improve public safety within parks, making them usable again. Vote Yes on P for our health, and the health of our children and grandchildren.

GOP attacks on TJ Cox despicable

It is repugnant to see the constant lambasting, lies and deceit being sent in mailings (at least one every day) and on television against the Democratic candidate in District 21, TJ Cox. The Republicans have hit an all-time low by proliferating hate and fear against an outstanding, ethical candidate. Don’t believe what you read and hear. It is negative politics at its worst. Mr. Cox is a committed community leader who has made a huge difference for working families and seniors across the Valley.

Wake up my fellow citizens, and recognize that these nasty politics only reflect (David) Valadao’s inability to speak to the truth. He refuses to meet with his constituents and will not participate in public forums. What is he afraid of? What does that tell us about his politics? It is time for honest, respectable change to finally address the concerns of the Valley. This is not about partisan politics, but about truth and integrity. TJ Cox will deliver for us in Congress.

Yes for children’s hospital bond

On Nov. 6, we have an opportunity to vote “Yes on Prop 4” to authorize bonds to fund construction at hospitals providing children’s health care across our state.

Increasingly across our Valley, regional community hospitals are providing access to high-quality specialized care for children with complex and chronic health conditions closer to home for families. With Prop. 4, much needed funding will go to these community hospitals that provide care for children and serve an even larger mission of being “safety-net” places of care for patients of all ages. Prop. 4 will support their program expansion, renovation and updates with the latest medical technologies and specialized equipment necessary to take care of sick children.

Prop. 4 will benefit community hospitals such as Community Regional Medical Center, which provides specialized care for over 71,000 children per year while serving some of the most disadvantaged families in Fresno and surrounding counties. As a nationally recognized member of Children’s Hospital Association, CRMC partners with pediatric specialists from UCSF Fresno to care for children when they become critically ill, injured, or have complex chronic health conditions, from birth through young adulthood.

Let’s go out and vote “Yes on Prop. 4” to help regional community hospitals like CRMC grow their children’s programs and ultimately increase access to specialty care for all children in the Valley.

For beautiful green, yes on P

I was riding with a friend through an unfamiliar part of town. We passed a beautiful park and I looked for street signs so I could find it again — mile after mile of manicured trees, flower beds and bushes, like nothing I had seen in Fresno before. Finally, I realized it was a cemetery, with that beauty reserved for people with six feet of dirt in the way of their appreciation of it. Vote yes on Measure P.

Vidak works hard as state senator

I am writing in support of state Sen. Andy Vidak in his bid for re-election in the 14th District. Unlike “party puppets” who only vote along party lines, Andy has worked across party lines to represent his district. Andy teamed up with Democratic Sen. Bill Monning to co-author legislation that would have helped residents living in disadvantaged communities receive assistance with the cost of water by providing financial assistance to lower the cost of operations and maintenance of facilities providing safe drinking water.

I live in Armona, a small, severely disadvantaged community that was having trouble with an EPA compliance order due to high levels of arsenic. Andy was one of our strongest supporters in Sacramento and played an important part in obtaining funding for our new well & treatment plant. Armona now has some of the highest quality water in the state.

Andy is a hard-working steward of the land he farms and knows the importance of water for both people and agriculture. Let’s keep an independent, hard-working man working for all of us. Please vote for Andy Vidak.

Shoes commercial in poor taste

I recently saw a commercial produced by Elizabeth Heng, congressional candidate for CA-16, depicting Congressman (Jim) Costa wearing red high heels stumbling through a neighborhood to illustrate that the congressman is walking in Nancy Pelosi’s shoes.

This commercial goes beyond being distasteful. It is offensive, insensitive and disrespectful of the office that she seeks. Regardless of how I feel about congressman Costa’s politics, I respect him for his 40 years of public service to our community, and am disgusted that this young woman thinks it is appropriate to mock a seven-term congressman by putting him in partial drag. It not only mocks him, but is offensive to the LGBTQU community. The point could be made while maintaining dignity. This woman is obviously too immature and insensitive for this honored position. Shame on you Miss Heng! Stay with Costa on election day!

Fresno needs both parks and safety

I remember a time when Juan Arambula, then serving as a Fresno County supervisor, jokingly said at a meeting, “I hate it when the press quotes what I said instead of what I meant to say.”

Recently The Fresno Bee quotes Mr. Arambula as saying ““I do believe there is now a better understanding as a result of our discussions, a better understanding that we need both parks and public safety. The mayor seems to think we have to have one before the other. My attitude is we can have both if we set our minds to it and set our egos aside.”

That has to be a misquote. Mr. Arambula surely knows that Mayor Brand’s position, from day one in a 10-month-long negotiating process, has been that we need both parks and public safety, and at no time has he said that he believes we should have public safety before parks. Concretely, he proposed a half cent sales tax measure, the proceeds of which would be divided equally between parks and public safety.

We need more parks, we need parks that are made safe by public safety officers, and we need a safe city.

Attack ad on Costa poorly done

The recent political attack on Jim Costa by Elizabeth Heng is the worst political ad I have seen in my lifetime. In addition to being inaccurate, as Costa is not a Pelosi supporter and has always been a moderate to conservative Democrat, the ad is anti-woman and insulting to the cis and trans community. If the positions were reversed and Costa released an ad against Heng, his supporters would abandon him. As a woman I am ashamed Heng stooped so low and hope her supporters are too! As a minority woman Heng should know better!